Fetal development - 24 weeks pregnant

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Your baby now weighs more than 600g. She is starting to fill the space in your uterus (womb). From crown to heel she could measure 30cm. Though your baby still has little body fat and her skin is thin and fragile, she's well-proportioned. Her brain is growing rapidly, tastebuds have fully developed, and her footprints and fingerprints are continuing to form. Inside her body, her lungs are developing branches of the respiratory tree as well as cells that produce surfactant. This substance will help her air sacs inflate once she reaches the outside world.

You may be noticing stretch marks on your belly, hips and breasts. These faint, red or brown streaks are known as striae. Whereas creams won't erase them, wearing a supportive bra may help prevent or minimise them on your breasts.

They are very common at this stage of the pregnancy – about 90 per cent of women get them. After you've given birth, the reddish or brown pigmentation in the stretch marks gradually fades, and the streaks become lighter than the surrounding skin.

Also, your eyes may be light-sensitive and may feel gritty and dry. This is a perfectly normal pregnancy niggle known as dry eye syndrome. Try to rest your eyes as much as possible, and keep them clean with cotton wool and warm water.

A healthy diet is still important at this stage of pregnancy, so visit our eating well section for weeks 25 to 28.

Note: Every baby develops differently. This page is designed to give a general idea of how a fetus grows in the uterus.

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Comments

Im 24 weeks pregnant today.
love the feeling of giving birth to someone who is of ur type.
at times think that is it real.
however im suffering from sweeling in my feet and my hands since i was in my 17th week of pregnancy.
but sufferings are very less in comparison to the happiness it brings when your baby flutters inside your stomach.
Congrats to all moms and to would-be-moms like me.
Enjoy the presence of a soul inside you and forget about the pains.

at week 24 some people gain weight but not for me, im still thin and im getting dizzy in the mornings when i finish drinking my pills i get from the clinic,is it normal? im having backaches im working in the office so im always sitting in this chair. but im happy my baby plays a lot and its fun to just talk and brush your stomach at the same time to bond with your child.

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